Extreme pain after IUI...

[Shades]

Hello ladies - was just stopping in here briefly because I'm doing AC but I'm not a LTTTCer so I feel a little like a fraud being in here..

Just wanted to ask - those of you that have IUIs - have you ever had them be so painful you couldn't function? I lay down in the backseat of my car for 5 mins after my first IUI with AD sperm last month, then tried to drive home - I had to pull over after 10 mins to throw up the pain was so agonising...
I normally get some pain even with a pap smear, and the doctor warned me that I might have some cramping because he 'was putting it very high up', but is that extreme amount of pain normal for anyone? Should I mention it to my FS when I see him next? Should I expect the same level of pain every time do you think?

Part of me can't help thinking that it was because it was frozen sperm - I get the impression they just defrost it enough so it's liquid but it'd still be darn cold - maybe I got uterus-freeze - like brain-freeze when you eat icecream... Am I being silly or does that sound plausible?

Thanks in advance for letting me pick your brains...

[briggsy's girl]

i've not used frozen sperm - but i doubt they'd only just defrost it - they'd have to warm it to room temp to ensure that the boys are swimming again - which is the same temp as sperm in a normal IUI

i've had pain when my cervix has been uncooperative - essentially it took three people to line my cervix up - one holding the speculum upside down, one working inside to line up cervix, and my DH or me pushing on my stomach so that it all lined up! it's not comfy, and you might find it's something you struggle with for each attempt if your cervix isn't cooperative enough. if your cervix is still high and closed (so not quite at ovulation), they have to basically force it open to a degree kwim?

i found this time was the first time i had no discomfort (after 5 IUI's and 3 IVF transfers - which is essentially the same process) - from what i can gather from conversation with the nurse, my body was just more ready - i'd had more stim drugs (longer time frame), different type of speculum (from what the nurse said, it was slightly longer, so gave better access, my cervix was more ready cycle timing wise (was low and open as it should be at ovulation) - so many factors there that may have contributed

i would definitely mention the pain factor to the FS - from what i read in your journal, i don't know if you were being left to ovulate naturally, or whether a trigger shot was administered. if it's left to be natural, and your hormone levels weren't sufficient, you may not have adequately ovulated, or your body may not have been physically "ready". IUI happens before you actually ovulate, so it may have been something to do with that...

it was our seventh attempt at IUI (two cancelled), with three Ivf transfers in there before we had "sticky" success.

[Shades]

Hmm - there was a bit of back-and-forthing when it came time to figure out when I ovulated - I was on FSH for about three days beforehand - an u/s showed follies that weren't quite as big as the doc was after but then the blood test from the same time showed the LH surge so I went in the next day... Maybe the timing was a little off as you suggested. No trigger shot...

I will talk to him when I see him next in Nov.

Still like to hear any other experiences from other ladies out there

[MeredithD]

HI Shades,
Sorry you had such a bad experience with IUI. I would defnitely talk to your FS about it as I would not think this is "typical".
I've had 6 x OI/IUI cycles and not once did I feel anything other than mild discomfort during the IUI.
A few hrs later i would usually get fairly significant ovulation pain but not from the IUI itself
Any chance the pain might have been O pain?
Hope you don't have to go through that to many times !

[Shades]

Thanks for your response Meredith

Hmm I've had ovulation pain before and this was like 20x worse! I'll definitely talk to him when I see him in Nov. I told the FS who did my IUI that I normally get bad pain even after a pap smear, but that was the first time I'd met him - it was an early morning weekend IUI so I didn't get my usual doc.

[diva det]

sounds like your uterus was pretty closed and they had to work against it to get it open. They may have bruised your insides a bit!
I would suggest that if you have to go through it again - which hopefully you wont- that you have a/puncture beforehand and afterwards. A/puncture can stimulate the uterus and open it up naturally so that there is no resistenace.
Hang in there and i hope the pain was for a good cause.
Take care

odette